Mobile device case with cushion devices

ABSTRACT

A case for a mobile device including a base wall and a plurality of side walls extending from the base wall to cover side surfaces of the mobile device. A plurality of cushion devices may pass through the side walls to cushion the mobile device from a force exerted upon the case.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No.13/964,852, filed Aug. 12, 2013, which is a continuation of applicationSer. No. 13/691,529, filed Nov. 30, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,509,865,the entire disclosures of these applications being incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to protective cases for mobile devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mobile devices, in the form of phones, computers, digital assistants,and hand held devices have become commonplace in society. Cellularphones, for example, are now carried by individuals at work, at home, atplay, and in a variety of other environments. The increased range ofwireless communication coverage enhances the variety of environments inwhich wireless-enabled mobile devices may be used. It may not be unusualto see a mobile device used while an individual is at the beach, at themall, near a river, walking over a rocky surface, or hiking up amountain.

Cases have been developed that protect mobile devices from dirt andscratches that may accumulate from normal use. The cases may comprise ashell or other covering that extends over the mobile device so that dirtdoes not enter crevices of the mobile device, or so the outer finish ofthe device is not scratched. The rising costs of mobile devices may makeit be worthwhile for an individual to invest in a case that protects themobile device from dirt or scratches.

However, the variety of environments that mobile devices are now used inmay demand greater protection for a mobile device. In addition, theincreased amount of time that an individual spends holding a mobiledevice may increase the probability that the individual drops a mobiledevice. Cases that merely protect mobile devices from dirt and scratchesmay be insufficient to protect the device from impact applied directlyto the case. The strength of such an impact may be great because usersare now more likely to carry mobile devices over hard surfaces likeconcrete, asphalt, rocks, or the like. In addition, the variety ofenvironments in which mobile devices are used may increase theprobability that the individual's hands are slick, which allows themobile device to more easily slip out of the user's hand (e.g., at thebeach, at the gym). Such impact may crack, disengage, or otherwisedamage electronic components within the mobile device, or may shatter aview screen or touch screen on the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The case disclosed herein is intended to address the need in the artidentified by the inventors for greater impact resistance for a mobiledevice. The case is designed to provide enhanced anti-shock andvibration reduction capabilities than offered by cases designed tomerely protect the mobile device from dirt and scratches. The case isdesigned to reduce the possibility of damage to the mobile deviceresulting from a force directly applied to the case.

In one embodiment, the case includes a base wall having an inner surfaceand an outer surface and that is configured to cover a surface of themobile device. The case includes a plurality of side walls each havingan inner surface and an outer surface and that is configured to cover aside surface of the mobile device.

The plurality of side walls extend from the base wall such that theinner surfaces of the plurality of side walls and the inner surface ofthe base wall form a recess configured to receive the mobile device. Theinner surfaces of the plurality of side walls and inner surface of thebase wall face towards the mobile device when the mobile device isreceived in the recess. The outer surfaces of the plurality of sidewalls and the outer surface of the base wall face away from the mobiledevice when the mobile device is received in the recess.

A plurality of side walls join to form at least four corners of thecase. Each of the plurality of side walls join to an adjacent one of theside walls to form the at least four corners. An aperture is positionedat each corner and extends from the inner surface of at least one of theside walls to the outer surface of the at least one of the side walls.

Cushion devices extend through the apertures and are configured tocushion the mobile device from a force exerted upon the case. Eachcushion device is removable from the aperture. A cushion device may befixed to the inner surface of the base wall and may be configured tocushion the mobile device from a force exerted upon the case. Thecushion device fixed to the base wall may extend from the inner surfaceof the base wall to a distance such that the mobile device contacts thecushion device and a gap exists between the mobile device and the innersurface of the base wall when the mobile device is received in therecess.

In one embodiment, the case includes a base wall having an inner surfaceand an outer surface and that is configured to cover a surface of themobile device. The case includes a plurality of side walls each havingan inner surface and an outer surface and that is configured to cover aside surface of the mobile device.

The plurality of side walls each have an inner surface and an outersurface and are configured to cover a side surface of the mobile device.The plurality of side walls extend from the base wall such that theinner surfaces of the plurality of side walls and the inner surface ofthe base wall form a recess configured to receive the mobile device. Theinner surfaces of the plurality of side walls and inner surface of thebase wall face towards the mobile device when the mobile device isreceived in the recess. The outer surfaces of the plurality of sidewalls and the outer surface of the base wall face away from the mobiledevice when the mobile device is received in the recess. The pluralityof side walls have a plurality of apertures.

A plurality of cushion devices each extend through a respective one ofthe plurality of apertures and each is configured to cushion the mobiledevice from a force exerted upon the case. Each of the plurality ofcushion devices are configured to be removable from respective one ofthe plurality of apertures. A cushion device may be fixed to the innersurface of the base wall and may be configured to cushion the mobiledevice from a force exerted upon the case. The cushion device fixed tothe base wall may extend from the inner surface of the base wall to adistance such that the mobile device contacts the cushion device and agap exists between the mobile device and the inner surface of the basewall when the mobile device is received in the recess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the present invention will become appreciatedas the same become better understood with reference to thespecification, claims, and appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a case for a mobile device, accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of a case for a mobile device, accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a case for a mobile device, accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a case for a mobile device, accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of a case for a mobile device, accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of a case for a mobile device,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a front side perspective view of a case for a mobiledevice, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates a front side perspective view of a case for a mobiledevice, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a front side perspective view of a case for a mobiledevice, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a front side perspective view of a case for a mobiledevice, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates a rear side perspective view of a case for a mobiledevice, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates a front side perspective view of a case for a mobiledevice showing side wall cushion devices separated from side walls and abase wall of the case, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates a front perspective view of a side wall cushiondevice, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 illustrates a rear perspective view of a side wall cushiondevice, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of a corner of a case, accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 illustrates a cross sectional view of a corner of a case,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross sectional view taken along a width of acase, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 illustrates a cross sectional view taken along a length of acase, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 illustrates a front perspective view of a case with a mobiledevice received by a recess of the case, according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a case 10 for a mobile device. Thecase 10 includes a base wall 12 and a plurality of side walls 14 a-d(referred to collectively as 14). The side walls 14 extend away from thebase wall 12 to form a recess 16 configured to receive the mobiledevice. A plurality of cushion devices 18 a-d (referred to collectivelyas 18) extend through the side walls 14. A cushion device 20 ispositioned upon the base wall 12. An aperture 22 is positioned on thebase wall 12.

The base wall 12 is a covering that covers a surface of the mobiledevice that is received by the recess 16. The base wall 12 extends outfrom a central portion 24 of the case 10 to outer portions 26 of thecase 10 to form the covering.

The base wall 12 includes an inner surface 28 and an outer surface 30(shown in FIG. 2). The inner surface 28 faces towards the mobile devicewhen the mobile device is received in the recess 16. The outer surface30 faces away from the mobile device when the mobile device is receivedin the recess 16.

The base wall 12 may have a substantially flat shape and extend in asingle plane. The flat shape of the base wall 12 may match a shape of aportion of the mobile device to be retained by the case 10. For example,a back portion of the mobile device may have a substantially flat shape,and the base wall 12 similarly includes the flat shape to contour to theback portion of the mobile device. The contour of the base wall 12 formsa form-fit of the mobile device, to allow the case 10 to not be overlybulky when covering the mobile device.

The base wall 12 may extend outward from the central portion 24 of thecase 10 to form a substantially rectangular shape. The rectangular shapemay be formed to match the shape of a rectangular mobile device that iscontained within the case 10. The outer portions 26 of the case 10terminate at the outer portions of the mobile device that is containedtherein.

The shape of the base wall 12 may be configured in any shape as desiredbased on the shape of the mobile device to be retained. For example, inone embodiment, the base wall 12 may have a curved shape. The curvatureof the base wall 12 may match a shape of the portion of the mobiledevice to be retained. The base wall 12 may be dimensioned to matchdimensions of the mobile device as desired, for example, the base wall12 may be dimensioned to have a square, or oblong shape to match thedimensions of a mobile device as desired. In one embodiment, the basewall 12 may not match the shape of the mobile device, but may have anyshape that still allows the base wall 12 to cover a surface of themobile device.

The base wall 12 may include a single layer or multi-layer construction.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the base wall 12 has a multi-layerconstruction, including an interior layer 32 and an exterior layer 34(shown in FIG. 2). The interior layer 32 forms a portion of the innersurface 28 of the base wall 12. The exterior layer 34 forms a portion ofthe exterior surface 30 of the base wall 12. The interior layer 32 andexterior layer 34 may be bonded or joined together in a manner that thelayers 32, 34 are permanently combined together. In one embodiment, thelayers 32, 34 may be molded together. In one embodiment, the interiorlayer 32 may be overmolded upon the exterior layer 34.

The interior layer 32 may be made of a pliable material that issufficiently rigid to form a portion of the case 10, yet offers anamount of shock resistance for the mobile device contained therein. Theinterior layer 32 may comprise an elastomeric material, for example anelastomeric polymer or the like configured to provide shock resistancefor the mobile device. In one embodiment, the interior layer 32 may bemade from an elastomeric thermoplastic polyurethane. The exterior layer34 (shown in FIG. 2) may be made of a material that is less pliable thanthe material of the interior layer 32, and may have a greater hardnessthan the material of the interior layer 32. The material of the exteriorlayer 34 may offer greater penetration resistance for the case 10 thanthe material forming the interior layer 32. The exterior layer 34 maycomprise a hard plastic, for example, polycarbonate or the like. Inother embodiments, the interior layer 32 and exterior layer 34 may bemade of identical materials, or materials having similar properties, ormay be made of any combination of materials as desired.

The side walls 14 extend from the base wall 12 to cover a side surfaceof the mobile device that is received in the recess 16. The combinationof the side walls 14 and the base wall 12 forms a housing, or shell, ofthe case 10 for receiving the mobile device. The side walls 14 mayextend from the outer edges of the base wall 12 to form the outerportions 26 of the case 10. The side walls 14 may be shaped to contourto the sides of the mobile device, to form a form-fit with the sides ofthe mobile device, such that the case 10 is not bulky upon the sides ofthe mobile device. In other embodiments, the side walls 14 may have anyshape relative to the mobile device as desired to cover the sides of themobile device.

Each of the side walls 14 includes a respective inner surface 36 a, 36b, 36 c, 36 d (referred to collectively as 36) and an outer surface 38a, 38 b, 38 c, 38 d (referred to collectively as 38). Each of the innersurfaces 36 face towards the mobile device when it is received in therecess 16. Each of the outer surfaces 38 face away from the mobiledevice when it is received in the recess 16.

The side walls 14 may extend upward from the base wall 12 to a distancethat that extends over the side of the mobile device or matches theheight of the side of the mobile device. In one embodiment, any of theside walls 14 may extend upward from the base wall 12 such that only apart of the side of the mobile device is covered.

Each of the side walls 14 may be formed of a continuous piece ofmaterial or may be formed of a material that includes apertures orcut-outs through any of the respective side walls 14. A portion of theinterior layer 32 may extend from the base wall 12 to form a portion ofany of the side walls 14 as desired. The portion of the interior layer32 forming a part of the side walls 14 may be integral with the interiorlayer 32 of the base wall 12. In an embodiment in which the interiorlayer 32 is a pliable material, the pliability of the interior layer 32as utilized by the side walls 14 may allow the side walls 14 to moreeasily bend to allow the mobile device to be more easily inserted intothe recess 16.

A portion of the exterior layer 34 (shown in FIG. 2) may extend from thebase wall 12 to form a portion of any of the side walls 14 as desired.The portion of the exterior layer 34 forming a part of the side walls 14may be integral with the exterior layer 34 of the base wall 12. In anembodiment in which the exterior layer 34 is a rigid material, therigidity of the exterior layer 34 as utilized by the side walls 14 mayprovide greater support for the side walls 14 to maintain their shapewhen the mobile device is received by the recess 16. In one embodiment,any of the side walls 14 may be formed from a single piece of material.In one embodiment, any of the side walls 14 may be formed from multiplepieces of material. In one embodiment, any of the side walls 14 may beformed from material that is not integral with a portion of the basewall 12.

The side walls 14 may extend from the base wall 12 in a direction thatis substantially perpendicular, or ninety degrees from a direction thebase wall 12 extends in. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the basewall 12 has a substantially flat shape, with each of the side walls 14similarly having a flat shape that extends in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of the base wall 12. In one embodiment, anyof the side walls 14 may have a curved shape, yet may have a portionthat extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to a directionthat a portion of the base wall 12 extends in. In one embodiment, any ofthe side walls 14 may have any shape as desired relative to the basewall 12 such that a side surface of the mobile device is covered. Theside walls 14 in combination may form a rim around the base wall 12 thatallow side surfaces of the mobile device to be covered. The rim mayextend around the sides surfaces of the mobile device to form cornersthat match the position of corners of the mobile device.

The side walls 14 may extend relative to each other in a direction thatis substantially perpendicular or ninety (90) degrees from a directionthat an adjacent one of the side walls 14 extends in. The side walls 14may form a substantially rectangular, or box-like, shape that coversside surfaces of the mobile device. In one embodiment, any of the sidewalls 14 may have a curved shape, yet may have a portion that extends ina direction substantially perpendicular to a direction that an adjacentone of the side walls 14 extends in.

The combination of the inner surface 28 of the base wall 12 and theinner surfaces 36 of the side walls 14 form the recess 16 for receivingthe mobile device. The recess 16 is bounded on its sides by the sidewalls 14. The recess 16 is bounded at its bottom by the base wall 12.The top of the recess opens into an aperture 40 that the mobile devicepasses through to be received by the recess 16. In the embodiment shownin FIG. 1, four side walls 14 bound the four sides of the recess 16. Inone embodiment, any number of side walls 14 may be utilized to bound therecess 16 as desired. A recess 16 may be formed through use of two sidewalls extending at a distance from the base wall 12, with the distancedefining the indentation or cavity that the mobile device is receivedin.

The cushion devices 18 extend through respective apertures 58 a, 58 b,58 c, 58 d (referred to collectively as 58) (identified in FIG. 12)positioned in the side walls 14 that extend from the inner surfaces 36of the side walls 14 to the outer surfaces 38 of the side walls 14. Theapertures may be positioned at corners 42 a, 42 b, 42 c, 42 d (referredto collectively as 42) of the case 10. Side walls 14 adjacent to oneanother join at the respective corners 42, and form an angle relative toeach other.

The cushion devices 18 are configured to cushion the mobile device froma force exerted upon the case 10. The cushion devices 18 may be formedfrom shock absorbing material, which may be elastic. Such materials mayinclude an elastomeric material such as rubber, or the like. In oneembodiment, the cushion devices 18 may be formed of material having adurometer between approximately 30-60. The cushion devices 18 may bemade of a material that has greater resistance to shock than thematerials forming the base wall and the side walls 14. The cushiondevices 18 may be structured to substantially absorb a force, or part ofa force, applied to the case 10 such that the entirety of the force isnot transmitted directly to the mobile device. The cushion devices 18may deform upon the force being applied, to absorb energy of the force.The cushion devices 18 may serve to reduce the possibility of damage tothe mobile device if the case 10 is dropped or hit by an object.

The cushion devices 18 may additionally serve to reduce force that istransmitted to the remainder of the case 10. For example, the cushiondevices 18 may reduce force applied to the base layer 12 or side walls14 forming the housing or shell of the case 10. The cushion devices 18may be removable from the apertures such that the cushion devices 18 arenot permanently joined to the remainder of the case 10. The removablefeature of the cushion devices 18 may serve to reduce the force that istransmitted to the remainder of the case 10. The cushion devices 18 maylack a chemical or electrical bond to the remainder of the case 10 thatreduces the strength of the force transmitted thereto. In addition, thecushion devices 18 may be removable to allow different cushion devices18, having different properties (e.g., hardness, durability, elasticity,and the like) to be inserted and placed in the apertures. The removablefeature additionally may allow the cushion devices 18 to be more easilymade of a different material than the base wall 12 or the side wall 14of the case 10. The cushion devices 18 may be formed separate from thebase wall 12 and side wall and then inserted manually into theapertures. The manual insertion process may reduce manufacturingexpense, by reducing the need for a separate molding step to form thecushion devices 20 in place. In addition, the manual insertion processmay allow a distributor to more easily select different cushion deviceswith different properties (e.g., hardness, durability, elasticity, andthe like) to be inserted and placed in the apertures based on aparticular shape or style of a desired mobile device. The case 10 may befitted for a particular shape or style of mobile device after thefactory manufacturing process takes place, for example, a salespersonmay fit the case 10 in-store, or at the point of sale, for a particularmobile device. Although the cushion devices may be removable, in oneembodiment, they may not be intended for the end-consumer to remove thecushion device, because the mobile device will not properly fit in thecase 10 with the cushion devices removed. In addition, an end-consumermay damage a cushion device if they attempt to remove the cushion devicefrom the case 10. In one embodiment, the cushion devices 18 may bepermanently fixed to the side walls 14 of the case.

The cushion devices 18 may be positioned at any location desired alongthe side walls 14 to reduce a force from being transmitted to the mobiledevice. Preferably, the cushion devices 18 are positioned at the corners42 of the case 10 to stabilize the mobile device at its vertices. Inaddition, a force applied directly to the case corners 42 will likely bemore focused because it is not distributed along a long surface of thecase 10, such as along a length of one of the side walls 14 or thelength of the outer surface 30 of the base wall 12 (shown in FIG. 2).The cushion devices 18 at the corners may dissipate this focused forceand reduce its transmission to the mobile device.

The number of cushion devices 18 utilized may also be varied.Preferably, in an embodiment in which the cushion devices 18 arepositioned at the corners 42 of the case, a cushion device 18 will bepositioned at each corner. For an embodiment in which the mobile devicehas four corners, then four cushion devices 18 may be utilized. However,shock absorption may still be provided if a cushion device 18 is notpositioned at each corner. In one embodiment, only one cushion device 18may be utilized at one corner, to provide some shock absorption for themobile device. In an embodiment in which cushion devices 18 arepositioned at multiple locations along the side walls 14, any number ofcushion devices 18 may be utilized as desired to provide shockabsorption. Cushion devices 18 may extend through apertures positionedin the middle of each of the side walls 14, for example.

The cushion device 20 positioned upon the base wall 12 may be configuredto cushion the mobile device from a force exerted upon the case 10,similar to the cushion devices 18 extending through the side walls 14.The cushion device 20 positioned upon the base wall 12 may be referredto as a base wall cushion device 20 and the cushion devices 18 extendingthrough the side walls 14 may be referred to as side wall cushiondevices 18. The base wall cushion device 20 may be formed from shockabsorbing material, which may be elastic. Such materials may include anelastomeric material such as rubber, or the like. In one embodiment, thecushion devices may be formed of material having a durometer betweenapproximately 30-60. The base wall cushion device 20 may be made of amaterial that has greater resistance to shock than the materials formingthe base wall 12 and the side walls 14. The base wall cushion device 20may be structured to substantially absorb a force, or part of a force,applied to the case 10 such that the entirety of the force is nottransmitted directly to the mobile device. The base wall cushion device20 may deform upon the force being applied, to absorb energy provided bythe force. The base wall cushion device 20 may serve to reduce thepossibility of damage to the mobile device if the case 10 is dropped orhit by an object.

The base wall cushion device 20 may not be formed integrally with thebase wall 12. The base wall cushion device 20 may be formed separatefrom the base wall 12 to allow the cushion device 20 to be made of adifferent material than the base wall 12. The base wall cushion device20 may be formed separate and fixed to the base wall 12 through anadhesive, or may be mechanically joined to the base wall 12. In oneembodiment, the base wall cushion device 20 may be formed integral withthe base wall 12 through a molding process.

The base wall cushion device 20 is preferably positioned at a centrallocation along the base wall 12, as shown in FIG. 1. However, the basewall cushion device 20 may be positioned at variable locations asdesired. Any number of additional base wall cushion devices 20 may beutilized, for example, sufficient numbers of cushion devices 20 may beutilized to substantially entirely cover the base wall 12.

The base wall cushion device 20 is preferably shaped to have a surfacearea that contacts a surface of the mobile device at multiple locations.Contact at multiple locations allows any force transmitted through thecushion device 20 to be distributed to the multiple locations on thesurface of the mobile device. The base wall cushion device 20 preferablyhas a substantially flattened or planar contact surface that contactsthe surface of the mobile device and distributes the reduced forcesubstantially evenly along the contact surface. The base wall cushiondevice 20 may have any outline or dimensional shape, as desired,including a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 1, or a diamond, orcircular shape, as desired.

The aperture 22 is positioned on the base wall 12 and extends from theinner surface 28 to the outer surface 30 of the base wall 12. Theaperture 22 is configured to allow an element of the mobile device to beutilized through the case 10. The aperture 22 shown in FIG. 1, forexample, corresponds to a camera used by the mobile device. The basewall 12 and side walls 14 may include any number of apertures or cutouts as desired, to correspond to an element of the mobile device or tootherwise allow access to the mobile device through the case 10.Apertures or cut outs may be positioned in the base wall 12 and any ofthe side walls 14 to reduce the weight of the case 10, for example.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the case 10 showing the outer surface30 of the base wall 12. The exterior layer 34 of the base wall 12 formsa portion of the outer surface 30 of the base wall 12. The interiorlayer 32 of the base wall 12 may pass through a portion of the exteriorlayer 34 to form a portion of the outer surface 30 of the base wall 12.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the interior layer 32 extends throughthe exterior layer 34 at the corners 42 of the case 10. In oneembodiment, the interior layer 32 may not extend through the exteriorlayer 34. In one embodiment, the interior layer 32 may pass through anyportion of the exterior layer 34 as desired. In an embodiment in whichthe interior layer 32 is a pliable material, and the exterior layer 34is a rigid material, the proportionate amount of interior layer 32 thatextends through the exterior layer 34 may be determined based on thetotal amount of pliability or rigidity desired for the case 10.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the case 10 showing the outer surface38 d of one of the side walls 14. The exterior layer 34 extends upwardfrom the base wall 12 (shown in FIG. 2) to form a portion of the outersurface 38 d of the side wall 14 d. The interior layer 32 of the basewall 12 extends upward from the base wall 12 to form a portion of theouter surface 38 d of the side wall 14 d. The interior layer 32 may passthrough a portion of the exterior layer 34.

The interior layer 32 may form grips 44 on the outer surface 38 d of theside wall 14 d. The grips 44 are configured to reduce the possibilitythat the case 10 slips from a user's hand while the case 10 is beinggripped. The interior layer 32 may also form depressible portions 46 onthe outer surface 38 d of the side wall 14 d. The depressible portions46 may be used to transmit a force to elements on the mobile device,including buttons, for example. An aperture 48 may be positioned on theside wall 14 d to allow access to the mobile device through the case 10.The aperture 48 shown in FIG. 3 allows access to a switch on the mobiledevice.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the case 10 showing the outer surface38 b of one of the side walls 14. The exterior layer 34 extends upwardfrom the base wall 12 (shown in FIG. 2) to form a portion of the outersurface 38 b of the side wall 14 b. The interior layer 32 of the basewall 12 extends upward from the base wall 12 to form a portion of theouter surface 38 b of the side wall 14 b. The interior layer 32 may passthrough a portion of the exterior layer 34. The interior layer 32 mayform grips 50 on the outer surface 38 b of the side wall 14 b, serving asimilar function as the grips 44 shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the case 10 showing the outer surface38 a of one of the side walls 14. The exterior layer 34 extends upwardfrom the base wall 12 (shown in FIG. 2) to form a portion of the outersurface 38 a of the side wall 14 a. The interior layer 32 of the basewall 12 extends upward from the base wall 12 to form a portion of theouter surface 38 a of the side wall 14 a. The interior layer 32 may passthrough a portion of the exterior layer 34. The interior layer 32 mayform a depressible portion 52 on the outer surface 38 a of the side wall14 a, that serves a similar function as the depressible portion 46 shownin FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of the case 10 showing the outersurface 38 c of one of the side walls 14. The exterior layer 34 extendsupward from the base wall 12 (shown in FIG. 2) to form a portion of theouter surface 38 c of the side wall 14 c. The interior layer 32 of thebase wall 12 extends upward from the base wall 12 to form a portion ofthe outer surface 38 c of the side wall 14 c. The interior layer 32 maypass through a portion of the exterior layer 34. An aperture 54 may bepositioned on the side wall 14 c to allow access to the mobile devicethrough the case 10. The aperture 54 shown in FIG. 6 allows access toelectrical connectors on the mobile device.

In one embodiment, the interior layer 32 may not extend through theexterior layer 34 of the side walls 14 shown in FIGS. 3-6. In oneembodiment, the interior layer 32 may pass through any portion of theexterior layer 34 of the side walls 14 as desired. In an embodiment inwhich the interior layer 32 is a pliable material, and the exteriorlayer 34 is a rigid material, the proportionate amount of interior layer32 that extends through the exterior layer 34 may be determined based onthe total amount of pliability or rigidity desired for the side walls 14of the case 10. A rigid exterior layer 34 extending over the side walls14 may form a rigid shell around the interior layer 32.

FIG. 7 illustrates a front side perspective view of the case 10. Theinterior surfaces 36 b, 36 c of two of the side walls 14 are shown. Theinterior layer 32 of the base wall 12 extends upward from the base wall12 to form a portion of the interior surfaces 36 b, 36 c of the sidewalls 14 b, 14 c.

A lip 56 extends from the side walls 14 towards the interior of the case10. The lip 56 is positioned at an end of the side walls 14 that isopposite an end of each of the side walls 14 fixed to the base wall 12.The lip 56 is configured to retain the mobile device within the recess16 upon the mobile device being inserted into the recess 16. The lip 56may extend continuously around the side walls 14 of the case 10 or mayextend over only a portion of at least one of the side walls 14. The lip56 may be formed from the material forming the interior layer 32 of thebase wall 12. The lip 56 may define the bounds of the aperture 40 thatthe mobile device passes through to be received by the recess 16.

A portion of each of the side wall cushion devices 18 extends into theinterior of the case 10. The portion of the side wall cushion devices 18that extends into the interior of the case 10 is configured to contactthe mobile device to cushion the mobile device from a force.

FIG. 8 illustrates a front side perspective view of the case 10. Theinterior surfaces 36 c, 36 d of two of the side walls 14 are shown. Theinterior layer 32 of the base wall 12 extends upward from the base wall12 to form a portion of the interior surfaces 36 c, 36 d of the sidewalls 14 c, 14 d.

FIG. 9 illustrates a front side perspective view of the case 10. Theinterior surfaces 36 a, 36 b of two of the side walls 14 are shown. Theinterior layer 32 of the base wall 12 extends upward from the base wall12 to form a portion of the interior surfaces 36 a, 36 b of the sidewalls 14 a, 14 b.

FIG. 10 illustrates a front side perspective view of the case 10. Theinterior surfaces 36 a, 36 d of two of the side walls 14 are shown. Theinterior layer 32 of the base wall 12 extends upward from the base wall12 to form a portion of the interior surfaces 36 a, 36 d of the sidewalls 14 a, 14 d.

FIG. 11 illustrates a rear side perspective view of the case 10.

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the case 10 in which the side wallcushion devices 18 are removable from the side walls 14 and the basewall 12 of the case 10. The side wall cushion devices 18 are shownseparated from the side walls 14 and the base wall 12 of the case 10.The case 10 is not intended to be in an operable mode when the side wallcushion devices 18 are removed, because the mobile device may notproperly fit within the case 10 without the cushion devices 18 in place.The apertures 58 b and 58 d are configured similarly as the apertures 58a and 58 c.

FIG. 13 illustrates a front perspective view of one of the side wallcushion devices 18. Each of the side wall cushion devices 18 shown inFIG. 12 may be configured similarly as the cushion device 18 a shown inFIG. 13. In one embodiment, any or all of the cushion devices 18 may beconfigured differently, as desired.

The side wall cushion device 18 a includes an inner flange 60 and anouter flange 62 connected by a neck 64. The inner flange 60 is a portionof the cushion device 18 a positioned interior of the side walls 14 whenthe cushion device 18 a is inserted through a respective aperture 58 a(shown in FIG. 12). The outer flange 62 is a portion of the cushiondevice 18 a positioned exterior of the side walls 14 when the cushiondevice 18 a is inserted through a respective aperture 58 a. The outerflange 62 and inner flange 60 may secure the cushion device 18 a withinthe aperture 58 a. The neck 64 is positioned within the respectiveaperture 58 a when the cushion device 18 a extends through the aperture58 a.

The outer flange 62 is preferably sized larger than the size of therespective aperture 58 a (shown in FIG. 12) to prevent the cushiondevice 18 a from becoming dislodged from the aperture 58 a. The outerflange 62 is preferably sized to have an outer surface area that islarge, and larger than the area of the aperture 58 a, to providematerial that receives and absorbs force applied to the outer flange 62.

The outer flange 62 may have a shape that contours to the shape of therespective outer surfaces 38 a, 38 b of the side walls 14 a, 14 b (shownin FIGS. 4 and 5). The outer flange 62 may have a curved or angled shapewhen the cushion device 18 a is positioned at the corner of the case 10.The outer flange 62 may have sufficient length to cover the respectiveouter surfaces 38 a, 38 b of side walls 14 a, 14 b at the corner of thecase 10, to absorb force applied to the corner of the case 10. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 13, the outer flange 62 has an oblong or ovalshape. In other embodiments, the outer flange 62 may have any shape thatretains the cushion device 18 a within the respective aperture 58 a asdesired.

The inner flange 60 is preferably sized larger than the size of therespective aperture 58 a (shown in FIG. 12) to prevent the cushiondevice 18 a from becoming dislodged from the aperture 58 a. The innerflange 60 is preferably sized to have an interior surface area that islarge, and larger than the area of the aperture 58 a, to providematerial that absorbs force applied to the outer flange 62 andpreferably does not deliver the entirety of the force to the mobiledevice.

The inner flange 60 may include a horizontal support 66, a stabilizer68, and a vertical support 70. The vertical support 70 may be contouredto form a corner recess 72.

The horizontal support 66 may comprise a flattened protrusion extendingoutward from the inner flange 60. When the cushion device 18 a isinserted into the respective aperture 58 a (shown in FIG. 12), thehorizontal support 66 may extend such that a portion of the mobiledevice may rest upon the horizontal support 66. The horizontal support66 may have a thickness, or distance, from the base wall 12 (shown inFIG. 1) such that the mobile device does not contact the base wall whenresting upon the horizontal support 66. The horizontal support 66 mayreduce the possibility that force is directly transmitted from the basewall 12 to the mobile device through contact therebetween.

The stabilizer 68 may comprise a ridge that extends from the innerflange 60 and contacts a portion of the base wall 12 (shown in FIG. 1).The stabilizer 68 may contact the base wall 12 to align the inner flange60 in position when it is inserted through the respective aperture 58 a(shown in FIG. 12).

The vertical support 70 may comprise a flattened wall that fits againstand covers the respective interior surfaces 36 a, 36 b of the side walls14 a, 14 b (shown in FIG. 9). When the cushion device 18 a is insertedinto the respective aperture 58 a (shown in FIG. 12), the verticalsupport 70 may extend such that a portion of the mobile device may pressagainst the vertical support 70. The vertical support 70 may have athickness, or distance, from the respective side walls 14 a, 14 b (shownin FIG. 9) such that the mobile device does not contact the respectiveside walls 14 a, 14 b when pressing against the vertical support 70. Thevertical support 70 may reduce the possibility that force is directlytransmitted from one of the side walls 14 to the mobile device throughcontact therebetween. The vertical support 70 may have a height, ordistance, such that an entire height of the respective inner surfaces 36a, 36 b of the side walls 14 a, 14 b below the lip 56 are filled withthe vertical support 70.

The corner recess 72 is shaped to receive a corner of the mobile device.The vertical support 70 may be curved to extend around the corner of themobile device to provide cushioning support for the corner in directionstowards both of the adjacent side walls 14 a, 14 b (shown in FIG. 9).

In other embodiments, the inner flange 60 may have any shape as desiredto provide cushioning for the mobile device when retained by the case.For example, in an embodiment in which the cushion support 18 a is notutilized in the corner of the case, but is rather utilized along amidpoint of one of the side walls, then the vertical support 70 may notbe contoured to include a corner recess 72.

FIG. 14 illustrates a rear perspective view of the side wall cushiondevice 18 a showing the outer flange 62. In one embodiment, the outerflange 62 and/or inner flange 60 may be configured such that the outerflange 62 and/or inner flange 60 must deform to allow the cushion device18 to pass through the respective aperture 58 a, to allow the cushiondevice 18 a to be retained within the aperture 58 a, or removed from theaperture 58 a.

FIG. 15 illustrates a detail view of one of the corners 42 of the case10, with the respective side wall cushion device 18 a removed. Each ofthe corners 42 shown in FIGS. 7-10 may be configured similarly as thecorner 42 a shown in FIG. 15. In one embodiment, any or all of thecorners 42 may be configured differently, as desired.

Two of the side walls 14 a, 14 b join at the corner 42 a, and theaperture 58 a extends through a portion of each of the side walls 14 a,14 b. Each of the side walls 14 a, 14 b join with each other atapproximately a midpoint of the aperture 58 a. The side walls 14 a, 14 bmay be mechanically joined at the aperture 58 a or may be integrallyformed such that they are joined with one another at the aperture 58 a.The ends of the side walls 14 a, 14 b entirely encircle the cushiondevice 18 a when it is inserted through the aperture 58 a. In oneembodiment, the aperture 58 a may be positioned at the corner 42 a, butmay be offset from the position shown in FIG. 15, such that the aperture58 a only extends through one of the two side walls 14 a, 14 b.

A side wall recess 74 is cut into the side walls 14 a, 14 b at thecorner 42 a. The side wall recess 74 is preferably shaped to securelyreceive and retain the side wall cushion device 18 a when it is passedthrough the aperture 58 a.

FIG. 16 illustrates a cross sectional view of one of the corners 42 a ofthe case 10, with the respective side wall cushion device 18 a extendingthrough the aperture 58 a. Each of the corners 42 shown in FIGS. 7-10may be configured similarly as the corner 42 a shown in FIG. 16. In oneembodiment, any or all of the corners 42 may be configured differently,as desired.

The cushion device 18 a fills the side wall recess 74 shown in FIG. 15.The outer flange 62 is positioned exterior to the respective side walls14 a, 14 b (shown in FIG. 15). The inner flange 60 is positionedinterior to the respective side walls 14 a, 14 b. The stabilizer 68abuts the interior layer 32 and the exterior layer 34 to align the innerflange 60 in position when it is inserted through the aperture 58 a. Thehorizontal support 66 abuts the interior layer 32 and extends at adistance 76 from the interior surface 28 of the base wall 12. Thedistance 76 allows a gap to form between the mobile device and the innersurface 28 of the base wall 12 when the mobile device is received by therecess 16. The vertical support 70 abuts the inner surfaces 36 a, 36 b(shown in FIG. 15) and extends at a distance from the inner surfaces, asmore clearly shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross sectional view taken along a width of thecase 10. An exemplary mobile device 78 is shown in outline that has beenreceived by the recess 16 of the case 10. Like components of the sidewall cushion devices 18 a, 18 d have been marked with lettering foridentification purposes (vertical support 70 a, 70 d, horizontal support66 a, 66 d), such components having similar properties as discussedregarding the vertical support 70 and the horizontal support 66.

The vertical supports 70 a, 70 d extend at respective distances 80, 82from respective inner surfaces 36 b, 36 d of the side walls 14 b, 14 d.The distances 80, 82 allow gaps to form between the mobile device andthe respective inner surfaces 36 b, 36 d of the side walls 14 b, 14 dwhen the mobile device 78 is received by the recess 16. The distance 76of the respective horizontal supports 66 a, 66 d from the inner surface28 of the base wall 12 is shown, with a gap shown between the innersurface 28 of the base wall 12 and the mobile device 78.

The distance 76 of the respective horizontal supports 66 a, 66 d fromthe inner surface 28 may match a distance that the base wall cushiondevice 20 has from the inner surface 28 of the base wall 12. The basewall cushion device 20 extends from the base wall 12 to a distance 76such that the mobile device 78 contacts the base wall cushion device 20and a gap exists between the mobile device 78 and the inner surface 28of the base wall 12 when the mobile device 78 is received in the recess16. The combination of the distances 76 of the cushion devices 18, 20from the base wall 12 may collectively elevate the mobile device 78above the inner surface 28 of the base wall 12. The lip 56 forms theupper restraint on the mobile device 78. The cushion devices 18, 20 maybe configured to press the mobile device 78 against the lip 56 to securethe mobile device 78 within the recess 16. In one embodiment, thedistance of the base wall cushion device 20 from the inner surface 28 ofthe base wall 12 may differ from the corresponding distances of thecushion devices. In an embodiment in which side wall cushion devices arenot utilized, the base wall cushion device 20 may solely form the gapbetween the mobile device 78 and the base wall 12. In an embodiment inwhich a base wall cushion device is not utilized, the side wall cushiondevices 18 may solely form the gap between the mobile device 78 and thebase wall 12.

FIG. 18 illustrates a cross sectional view taken along a length of thecase 10. Like components of the side wall cushion devices 18 a, 18 bhave been marked with lettering for identification purposes (verticalsupport 70 a, 70 b, horizontal support 66 a, 66 b), such componentshaving similar properties as discussed regarding the vertical support 70and the horizontal support 66.

The vertical supports 70 a, 70 b extend at respective distances 84, 86from respective inner surfaces 36 a, 36 c of the side walls 14 a, 14 c.The distances 84, 86 serve similar functions as the distances 80, 82discussed in regard to FIG. 17, namely, the distances 84, 86 allow gapsto form between the mobile device and the respective inner surfaces 36a, 36 c of the side walls 14 a, 14 c when the mobile device 78 isretained by the case 10.

FIG. 19 illustrates a front perspective view of the case 10 with themobile device 78 received by the recess 16 (shown in FIG. 7). The lip 56overlaps a front surface of the mobile device 78 to secure the device 78within the recess 16. The aperture 40 allows a user to access frontportions of the mobile device 78.

The case 10 may be configured as a form-fit case, as illustrated in FIG.19, or may be configured as a bulky shell that does not tightly fit thecontours of the mobile device. A form-fit case has a base wall and sidewalls that are positioned substantially at the outer surfaces of themobile device. The case 10 may be shaped to fit a particular intendedmodel of mobile device, or may be shaped to fit multiple differentmodels of mobile devices. The case 10 may be sized as desired, to fit acorresponding mobile device. The case 10 may be formed as a single piececase, in which the side wall cushion devices 18 are permanently joinedto the side walls 14, and the entire case forms a single piece. The case10 may be formed as a multi-piece case, as shown in FIG. 12, forexample, in which side wall cushion devices 18 are removable from theside walls 14, or any other number of pieces are utilized to cover themobile device. For example, in one embodiment, a cover may be fit overthe side of the case 10 opposite the base wall 12, to form a case 10covering the mobile device on six sides.

The case 10 may be configured to cover a back surface of the mobiledevice, or a front surface of the mobile device, or both, if desired.

The mobile device is preferably a personal electronic device such as aphone, a computer, a digital assistant, hand held device, or the like.The phone may comprise a cellular, or mobile phone, and may include atouch screen. The case 10 may be configured to cover the side of thephone opposite the touch screen, to protect the back of the phone fromimpact and/or scratches. The case 10 may also be configured to coverportions of the touch screen, with cut outs or apertures in place toallow access to the desired elements of the touch screen. The computermay comprise a tablet computer or the like, which may similarly includea touch screen accessible with the case 10 in place. The hand helddevice may comprise a personal digital assistant or the like, which maysimilarly include a touch screen accessible with the case 10 in place.

The case 10 beneficially covers and protects the desired mobile devicewhile offering shock protection for the mobile device. Impact dampeningmaterial is strategically placed to absorb shock in a drop event. Suchprotection may extend the life of the mobile device by reducing thepossibility of damage to electronic components within the mobile device.The cushion devices disclosed herein may absorb a force applied to thecase by deforming to absorb the force or by providing shock resistancein any other manner desired. The cushion devices may additionallyseparate the mobile device away from the surfaces of the base wall andthe side walls to reduce the force transmitted from these surfaces tothe mobile device. The mobile device may float, or be suspended upon thecushion devices to reduce shock to the mobile device. In an embodimentin which a base wall cushion device 20 and side wall cushion devices 18are used, the mobile device may be suspended at five points by theimpact protection material of the cushion devices.

In closing, it is to be understood that although aspects of the presentspecification are highlighted by referring to specific embodiments, oneskilled in the art will readily appreciate that these disclosedembodiments are only illustrative of the principles of the subjectmatter disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that thedisclosed subject matter is in no way limited to a particularmethodology, protocol, and/or reagent, etc., described herein. As such,various modifications or changes to or alternative configurations of thedisclosed subject matter can be made in accordance with the teachingsherein without departing from the spirit of the present specification.Lastly, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describingparticular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope ofthe present invention, which is defined solely by the claims.Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to that precisely asshown and described.

Certain embodiments of the present invention are described herein,including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out theinvention. Of course, variations on these described embodiments willbecome apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading theforegoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisans to employsuch variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the presentinvention to be practiced otherwise than specifically described herein.Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalentsof the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permittedby applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-describedembodiments in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by theinvention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context.

Groupings of alternative embodiments, elements, or steps of the presentinvention are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member maybe referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with othergroup members disclosed herein. It is anticipated that one or moremembers of a group may be included in, or deleted from, a group forreasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion ordeletion occurs, the specification is deemed to contain the group asmodified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groupsused in the appended claims.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing a characteristic,item, quantity, parameter, property, term, and so forth used in thepresent specification and claims are to be understood as being modifiedin all instances by the term “about.” As used herein, the term “about”means that the characteristic, item, quantity, parameter, property, orterm so qualified encompasses a range of plus or minus ten percent aboveand below the value of the stated characteristic, item, quantity,parameter, property, or term. Accordingly, unless indicated to thecontrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification andattached claims are approximations that may vary. At the very least, andnot as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine ofequivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical indication shouldat least be construed in light of the number of reported significantdigits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstandingthat the numerical ranges and values setting forth the broad scope ofthe invention are approximations, the numerical ranges and values setforth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible.Any numerical range or value, however, inherently contains certainerrors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in theirrespective testing measurements. Recitation of numerical ranges ofvalues herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate numerical value falling withinthe range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value of anumerical range is incorporated into the present specification as if itwere individually recited herein.

The terms “a,” “an,” “the” and similar referents used in the context ofdescribing the present invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitableorder unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplarylanguage (e.g., “such as”) provided herein is intended merely to betterilluminate the present invention and does not pose a limitation on thescope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the presentspecification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed elementessential to the practice of the invention.

Specific embodiments disclosed herein may be further limited in theclaims using consisting of or consisting essentially of language. Whenused in the claims, whether as filed or added per amendment, thetransition term “consisting of” excludes any element, step, oringredient not specified in the claims. The transition term “consistingessentially of” limits the scope of a claim to the specified materialsor steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novelcharacteristic(s). Embodiments of the present invention so claimed areinherently or expressly described and enabled herein.

All patents, patent publications, and other publications referenced andidentified in the present specification are individually and expresslyincorporated herein by reference in their entirety for the purpose ofdescribing and disclosing, for example, the compositions andmethodologies described in such publications that might be used inconnection with the present invention. These publications are providedsolely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the presentapplication. Nothing in this regard should be construed as an admissionthat the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure byvirtue of prior invention or for any other reason. All statements as tothe date or representation as to the contents of these documents isbased on the information available to the applicants and does notconstitute any admission as to the correctness of the dates or contentsof these documents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A case for a mobile device comprising: a basewall having an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of sidewalls each having an inner surface and an outer surface, the pluralityof side walls extending from the base wall such that the inner surfacesof the plurality of side walls and the inner surface of the base wallform a recess configured to receive the mobile device, the plurality ofside walls having a plurality of apertures; and a plurality of cushiondevices each extending through a respective one of the plurality ofapertures and being configured to cushion the mobile device from a forceexerted upon the case, each of the plurality of cushion devices having aflange, the flange extending from the inner surface of at least one ofthe plurality of side walls to a distance such that the mobile devicecontacts the flange and a gap exists between the mobile device and theinner surface of the at least one of the plurality of side walls whenthe mobile device is received in the recess.
 2. The case of claim 1,wherein the flange contacts the inner surface of the at least one of theplurality of side walls.
 3. The case of claim 1, wherein the flangecovers the inner surface of the base wall.
 4. The case of claim 1,wherein the flange is made of an elastomeric material.
 5. The case ofclaim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the plurality of side walls andthe inner surface of the base wall are configured to face towards themobile device when the mobile device is received in the recess, and theouter surfaces of the plurality of side walls and the outer surface ofthe base wall are configured to face away from the mobile device whenthe mobile device is received in the recess.
 6. The case of claim 1,wherein the flange extends from the inner surface of the base wall to adistance such that the mobile device contacts the flange and a gapexists between the mobile device and the inner surface of the base wallwhen the mobile device is received in the recess.
 7. The case of claim1, further comprising a cushion device fixed to the inner surface of thebase wall and being configured to cushion the mobile device from a forceexerted upon the case, and extending from the inner surface of the basewall to a distance such that the mobile device contacts the cushiondevice fixed to the inner surface of the base wall and a gap existsbetween the mobile device and the inner surface of the base wall whenthe mobile device is received in the recess.
 8. The case of claim 1,wherein the flange is an inner flange, and each of the plurality ofcushion devices has an outer flange extending from the outer surface ofthe at least one of the plurality of side walls.
 9. A case for a mobiledevice comprising: a base wall having an inner surface and an outersurface; a plurality of side walls each having an inner surface and anouter surface and extending from the base wall, the plurality of sidewalls and the base wall forming a recess configured to receive themobile device, the inner surfaces of the plurality of side walls and theinner surface of the base wall configured to face towards the mobiledevice when the mobile device is received in the recess, and the outersurfaces of the plurality of side walls and the outer surface of thebase wall configured to face away from the mobile device when the mobiledevice is received in the recess; and a cushion device extending throughat least one of the plurality of side walls and being removable from theat least one of the plurality of side walls, the cushion deviceincluding a flange extending from the inner surface of the at least oneof the plurality of side walls to a distance such that the mobile devicecontacts the flange and a gap exists between the mobile device and theinner surface of the at least one of the plurality of side walls whenthe mobile device is received in the recess.
 10. The case of claim 9,wherein the cushion device extends through the at least one of theplurality of side walls at a corner of the case.
 11. The case of claim9, wherein the flange is an inner flange, and each of the plurality ofcushion devices has an outer flange extending from the outer surface ofthe at least one of the plurality of side walls.
 12. The case of claim11, wherein the cushion device is configured such that the inner flangeor the outer flange of the cushion device must deform to allow thecushion device to be removed from the at least one of the plurality ofside walls.
 13. The case of claim 9, wherein the flange extends from theinner surface of the base wall to a distance such that the mobile devicecontacts the flange and a gap exists between the mobile device and theinner surface of the base wall when the mobile device is received in therecess.
 14. The case of claim 9, further comprising a cushion devicefixed to a central position of the inner surface of the base wall andextending from the inner surface of the base wall to a distance.
 15. Acase for a mobile device comprising: a base wall having an inner surfaceand an outer surface and being configured to cover a surface of themobile device; a plurality of side walls each having an inner surfaceand an outer surface and being configured to cover a side surface of themobile device, the plurality of side walls extending from the base wallsuch that the inner surfaces of the plurality of side walls and theinner surface of the base wall form a recess configured to receive themobile device; and a cushion device fixed to the inner surface of thebase wall and being configured to cushion the mobile device from a forceexerted upon the case, and extending from the inner surface of the basewall to a distance such that the mobile device contacts the cushiondevice fixed to the inner surface of the base wall and a gap existsbetween the mobile device and the inner surface of the base wall whenthe mobile device is received in the recess.
 16. The case of claim 15,wherein the cushion device is positioned centrally on the inner surfaceof the base wall.
 17. The case of claim 15, wherein the cushion deviceis fixed to the inner surface of the base wall with an adhesive.
 18. Thecase of claim 15, wherein the cushion device has a substantially planarcontact surface for contacting the mobile device when the mobile deviceis received in the recess.
 19. The case of claim 15, wherein the cushiondevice is configured such that the gap is positioned between the cushiondevice and at least one of the plurality of side walls.
 20. The case ofclaim 15, wherein the inner surfaces of the plurality of side walls andthe inner surface of the base wall are configured to face towards themobile device when the mobile device is received in the recess, and theouter surfaces of the plurality of side walls and the outer surface ofthe base wall are configured to face away from the mobile device whenthe mobile device is received in the recess.